


Too Cool

by Sprinkles257



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Big Brother Sans, Fluff and Angst - the usual, I can't decide if I want the skelebros and Undyne to meet as adults or kids, I love both, I'm sorry if I write my fave characters over and over - I always do that :P, Multi, Papyrus is kind of lonely, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Undyne is in the middle in terms of age, Younger Brother Papyrus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2017-10-14
Packaged: 2019-01-16 01:10:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12332460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sprinkles257/pseuds/Sprinkles257
Summary: Papyrus feels a little sad because some monsters think he's weird. His brother tries to help him. Then, one day, he meets a certain fish girl that he could call a...friend? Wowie!





	Too Cool

**Author's Note:**

> If you want Undyne and Papyrus to have met as kids, please continue. If you prefer them meeting as adults, please go to this story I wrote earlier this Summer: https://sprinkles257.deviantart.com/art/Working-Undertale-oneshot-689773437  
> \- I headcanon little Papyrus being slightly less confident than as an adult.  
> \- The line "i believe in you, ok?" is inspired by this picture by C-Puff (her art is awesome): https://c-puff.deviantart.com/art/Influence-661749245  
> \- The concept itself was only partially inspired by this comic by Zarla (VERY GOOD!):https://zarla.deviantart.com/art/I-don-t-come-off-as-needy-do-I-582068575  
> I try to credit every idea I think of, because every artist has potential - including the original one!  
> \- Fun fact, I was originally going to put in this scene for comedic effect, but took them out: "Who are you?" 'I'M SANS'S BROTHER!" "...Who's Sans?" "I JUST TOLD YOU, HE'S MY BROTHER." And then Sans would poke out from behind somewhere and wave.

   The skeleton brothers' childhood was mostly normal, but like everything, it had its ups and downs. They were by themselves, but Sans's multiple jobs sustained them. He was often tired, but the physical type of tired, not the mental type he would develop in adulthood. He found joy in in most activities like sleeping, playing by himself, or being with his little brother - Papyrus.

   Papyrus was more enthusiastic than Sans, but being young, he had some vulnerabilities. Although he always took his actions with verve, athletically speaking he wasn't the best. As he got older, he would get much, much stronger. He wasn't fond of using violence to solve issues, but he would become really dang powerful into adulthood. The little skeleton monster hated to admit it, but even though he was seldom sad, it still happened sometimes. Despite his bubbly personality (his brother found it a little tiring, but also adorable), most monsters his age avoided him - saying he (or Sans) was too weird, or he was too loud. 

   Sometimes, Papyrus honestly just wanted friends. He didn't really want the fame he said would be imminent, he just wanted people to be with, to make everyone happy. He attempted to do this, once. It didn't end well.

   _The two brothers lived on the edge of Snowdin, beginning into Waterfall. Not many people knew of them, due to this. The ones who have seen them, however, usually thought they were rather odd. They were actually normal, aside from some idiosyncrasies, such as them being polar opposites but getting along so well._

_One time, Papyrus spotted some children in Snowdin Town around his age. There were two bunnies (they appeared to be sisters), another rabbit boy, and a bear. He decided to greet them._

_"HELLO!" He called to the children._

_"Uh...hey." The rabbit boy replied. "We haven't seen you before."_

_"OH, THAT'S BECAUSE MY BROTHER AND I LIVE RIGHT OUTSIDE OF HERE! I JUST THOUGHT I'D SAY HI...TO BE NICE."_

_The bear and the rabbit sisters nodded in understanding, while the rabbit boy thought for a moment before speaking._

_"Heh heh, well, why don't we welcome you, to be nice, for a little game of catch?"_

_The little skeleton was about to open his jaw to delightfully say "YES!", then the boy hit him with the ball he was holding._

_"Catch!"_

_"WHA-OWIE! HEY, THAT HURT!" He fell._

_One of the bunny sisters spoke up. "Hey, it ain't nice to treat newfolk like that!"_

_The boy ignored her, facing towards Papyrus. "You're annoying. I don't like that."_

_"C-CAN'T WE TALK ABOUT THIS? I_ _DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU."_

_"Get out of here!"_

_And with that, he ran away. He wouldn't approve of not trying to solve the issue with his usual panache, but he lost a little of his confidence during the confrontation. He never wanted to hurt people, but he didn't want to get hurt either._

_When he went home that day, Sans welcomed him before stopping abruptly: "hey bro, how was your- whoa, what happened?" The slightly older skeleton "frowned" (with his eye sockets) worriedly._

_"NOTHING, BROTHER! IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT."_

_"papyrus, please don't lie to me. i just wanna know if you're okay." His voice became serious, but in some odd way, caring as well._

_He sighed in defeat. "I WAS LOOKING F-FOR SOME NEW FRIENDS, WHEN A RABBIT CHILD HIT ME W-WITH A BALL, AND HE SAID I WAS ANNOYING. I-IT HURT, SANS."_

_"do you want me to heal you?"_

_"I DON'T MEAN T-THAT KIND OF HURT. WHY DID HE NOT LIKE ME? DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?" His voice became quiet. "What did I do?"_

_"let me just stop you right there. you didn't do anything wrong, in fact, you did the right thing. you chose not to use violence even in a situation like that. so, don't be sad because of those f- stupid kids."_

_"Is there still a reason the other kids avoid us?"_

_The older skeleton sighed. "...you're just too cool for them."_

_The little skeleton looked up, the ends of his mouth going up further. "Really?" He asked._

_"really." Sans took his brother's hands in his. "i believe in you, ok?"_

_Papyrus's eye sockets started glistening. He leaned forward, giving a hug. "THANK YOU, SANS!" He said, his voice going back to normal._

_Sans was used to acts of affection from his brother, but this somehow was different. He did not often see Papyrus in distress. Regardless, he was happy to have made him feel better._

_"you're welcome, bud."_

Papyrus looked into the luminescent river of Waterfall, and smiled, albeit just a tiny bit sadly. That event was recent, and although that one rabbit's behavior was rather uncalled for, he forgave him. Sans was right - he  _was_ too cool for them! There would be monsters that would like him, he just knew it.

   He was humming a little tune that he liked because it "trousled his bones", until a voice startled him.

   "Hey!" The voice sounded female.

   "NYEH-...OH, HELLO THERE!" Papyrus turned to indeed see a girl around his age, slightly older possibly. She had blue...skin? Scales? She had pointy, gill-like ears, and long red hair.

   "Who are you?" The fish-girl questioned. She looked ready for nothing in particular.

   "I'M PAPYRUS THE SKELETON. ALTHOUGH THE SECOND PART MUST BE PRETTY OBVIOUS, NYEH HEH HEH!" He paused. "AND MAY I ASK WHO YOU BE?"

   "Undyne!" The girl, Undyne, said proudly. She seemed to have calmed down slightly after knowing the little skeleton's name. "So, what brings you here to Waterfall?"

   "I LIVE AROUND HERE, OUTSIDE OF SNOWDIN. I JUST WANTED TO LOOK AROUND."

   Undyne tapped her chin. "I could've sworn I saw a skeleton here once, but they didn't look like you. They were slightly taller, had a round face, a blue hoodie..."

   "OH, YOU MUST BE TALKING ABOUT MY BROTHER, SANS! HE DOES COME HERE SOMETIMES." Papyrus sighed fondly. "HE'S REALLY A NICE GUY, BUT I'M GLAD YOU DIDN'T MEET HIM BEFORE ME. HE WOULD HAVE MADE AN ODD FIRST IMPRESSION."

    _I think you both have pretty weird first impressions._ The fish-girl chuckled to herself. She didn't mind though - the little monster meant no harm, and he seemed nice. She stayed silent for a moment, thinking. "Hey, do you wanna see something cool?"

   "OKAY!" Papyrus followed her, trying his best to catch up to her fast pace. Undyne led him to a room with luminescent blue flowers, corresponding to the water. The flowers whispered indecipherable messages, and it kind of gave him the creeps. He's seen an echo flower before, but not a whole group. He's never been to this part. He had to admit, though, it was a beautiful area.

   "These are echo flowers. They repeat everything we say, so we have to stay quiet." The little skeleton noticed that Undyne commonly spoke in exclamations - like him! That was one thing they had in common.  _THIS IS PROGRESS!_ He thought. "Monsters come here to whisper messages, wishes, questions...whatever. Cool, right?"

   "YEAH! I MEAN...Yeah!" Papyrus put his nonexistent ear to the echo flower. It murmured  _I want to see the stars._ "Wowie!" 

   "I hear all kinds of hopes and dreams in these things. And you know what?"

   "What?"

   "One day, I'm gonna make all of them come true!!"

   Undyne sounded really...determined. Papyrus found that rather admirable.

   After that, they both walked exited the room and walked back to the "tunnel" linking Snowdin and Waterfall. Their voices normalized again due to not having to worry about the flowers.

   "WELL, I THINK I SHOULD GO HOME, OR ELSE SANS WILL WORRY ABOUT ME AND THEN MAKE A JOKE TO COVER IT UP." He snickered briefly. "GOODBYE, UNDYNE!"

_So, Sans is a jokester, huh? This little guy seems more goofy than a jokester. What a pair they must make!_ Undyne thought to herself before saying, "See you, Papyrus!"

* * *

   The little skeleton then went home, excitedly telling his brother about his (potential!!) friend. Sans didn't outwardly show it, but he was proud. He was a bit worried for a while there, that Papyrus wouldn't find monsters to be with, even though he tried. He tried really hard.

   Days to follow, the two children met up more often. They explored, and did other things. Undyne said she had another friend named Alphys. She didn't know her very well, but she wanted to. She said the nervous lizard was very smart and cool - the fish girl liked her a lot. Papyrus nodded, not knowing who Alphys was, but he was happy for the other regardless.

   One day the latter asked "What do you want to do when you grow up? I want to be in the Royal Guard! I want to show everyone how strong I can be, and to protect the Underground."

   "I WISH TO BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD TOO! I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO ADMIRE ME. I'M NOT QUITE THERE YET, HEH..." His laugh was just a short, slightly less genuine "heh" rather than "Nyeh heh heh". Undyne didn't notice until now, but Papyrus seemed a bit lonely. 

   "...Do you hang out with anyone other than me?"

   "OF COURSE, MY BR-" 

   "And other than Sans."

   A bead of sweat fell from Papyrus's skull. "N-NO?"

   "Whaaat? Why? You seem like a good monster." It takes a lot to gain Undyne's trust, so that meant more than it sounded.

   "OTHERS DON'T...D-DON'T LIKE ME. THEY THINK I'M ANNOYING, OR SOMETHING." He then said, just a little quieter, "DO YOU THINK I'M ANNOYING?"

   "Nah. You're pretty weird, but not that. You're still cool in my book. Don't be afraid to be yourself, Papyrus!!"

   "W-WOWIE, A GENUINE COMPLIMENT...THANK YOU!" There was a nod as a reply.

* * *

   Today, they were seeing the echo flower field again. Papyrus looked like he was anticipating something.

   "Hey, um, why don't we look at this flower in particular?" He said, remembering to be quiet this time. He gestured to the flower that looked identical to all the others. What was so special about it?

   "Hmm, okay."

   _Monsters come here to whisper messages, wishes, questions...:_  

   Undyne leaned close to the flower, and it said, at a louder-than-a-whisper voice:  _WILL YOU BE MY FRIEND?_ She knew whose voice that was.  _That's_ why the little skeleton wanted her to see this specific flower. She didn't know whether to be happy at the kind gesture, or angry by the conversation they had days ago - other than his brother, she was his only friend. That must have sucked! 

   Papyrus looked up expectantly, and smiled nervously. "This is normally the part where you reply."

   Undyne flashed a big, pointy smile. She put one arm around his neck and the other atop his head, where his hair would be, if he had any. "Of course, you nerd!!"

   "P-please don't noogie the skeleton!!" He protested. On the inside, however, he was smiling wider than ever.

   Papyrus then had to go home. He went - practically skipping his way down.

* * *

   Sans peeked from some tall grasses. He didn't want to be a creep, but he was curious as to how everything was going. He was good at staying unnoticed. When his little brother departed, he came out to touch Undyne (presumably, he didn't see how she looked until now) on the shoulder.

   "WHAT THE H- Oh." She turned around, and squinted slightly. "Are you Sans?" She sounded surprised to now see him up close. He looked slightly older. His eye sockets were different, more normal shaped - and unlike Papyrus's, they weren't empty. They had little white lights in them. He was kind of chubby too. How does that even work?!

   Sans shrugged. "you guessed it. heya." The fish girl noticed he spoke without opening his mouth, just moving it almost imperceptibly. It probably was just how his face worked - a skeleton thing.

   "i just wanted to say...thanks, kid. for being nice to my brother, i mean. you made him really happy." He winked. "and between you n' i, seeing him get hurt before you came along really  _rattled_ me."

   There it was - that was the joke mentioned earlier. Undyne rolled her eyes momentarily, then nodded to say "No problem."

   The two went their separate ways, each satisfied with the situation.

 

   


End file.
